Carriers for articles that are worn on the person include backpacks, waist bags, and chest bags.
The bearer may wish to carry certain articles, such as a camera, global positioning system navigation device, granola bar, or the like, in the backpack but have them available for ready use without taking off the backpack, because taking off the backpack and then putting it back on the bearer's back takes time and requires readjustment of the backpack when on the bearer's back. Alternatively, the bearer may not be able to take off the backpack because no place is available to place or hang the backpack after removal. A waist bag is convenient for carrying articles that need to be readily accessible because the receiver of the waist bag may be turned to the front or anterior of the bearer. Wearing a waist bag with a backpack is possible but only if the waist bag is positioned so the receiver is to the bearer's front.
The applicant is the assignee of the following U.S. patents that disclose backpacks and waist bag carrying systems that combine a backpack and a waist bag with a moveable receiver: U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,690,029 B2, 8,690,029 B2, 8,814,016 B2, 9,027,813 B2, and 9,510,661 B2. The disclosures of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference into this specification for all purposes allowed by law.
Backpack and waist bag carrying systems include a backpack with a compartment extending from side to side through the lower part of the backpack and a waist bag with a receiver. The receiver of the waist bag is sized and shaped to releasably fit into the compartment with either side of the waist bag's belt protruding from the compartment in the backpack. The bearer may then wear the backpack on the bearer's back with the waist bag's belt connected around the waist or hips of the bearer, in the manner of a conventional backpack with a waist belt.
The backpack and waist bag carrying system permits the bearer to access the needed articles readily. The bearer places the articles in the receiver of the waist bag and then inserts the receiver in the compartment of the backpack. The bearer thereupon wears the backpack on the bearer's back. When the bearer needs the article she may rotate the waist bag around the waist in order to move the receiver of the waist bag from the compartment in the bottom of the backpack to her front so she can access articles contained in the receiver. The bearer can then rotate the waist bag so the receiver returns to the compartment in the backpack. The bearer does not need to take off the backpack to access the articles.
Fishing, and particularly fly-fishing, is a sport or avocation that requires the bearer to carry a number of articles. The fisherman or woman will need fishing gear such as a rod, reel, flies, leaders and tippets, flies or lures, tools such as a net, and the like. In addition, he or she may wish to carry other items such as food and drink, sunglasses, camera, GPS device, cellular phone, coat, sweater, gloves, and the like. A backpack is a good choice to carry all these articles, especially when the fisherman or woman must walk some distance. The backpack and waist bag carrying system is especially useful because the fisherman or woman will want quick access to certain fishing articles such as flies and tippet yet may not want to take off a backpack because he or she has no place to put the backpack (perhaps because he or she is standing in a river or on a muddy river bank). Alternatively, he or she may not want to take the time to remove and then put on the backpack just to reach a few articles.
Fishermen and women may need to wade in the water of a stream, river, lake, or the sea in order to reach or be in suitable fishing spots and to recover fish they have caught. They may wear waders in order to remain dry and warm while standing and walking in the water. Because of the need to stand or walk in water, fishermen and women may employ vests or chest packs that keep their needed articles both handy and out of water when standing in deeper water.
A backpack and waist bag carrying system places the receiver of the waist bag at waist or hip level. This may be too low because the fisherman or woman may wish to wade into water that is deeper than waist height.
A need exists for converting the waist bag of a backpack and waist bag carrying system into a chest pack, whether the bearer is wearing the backpack on his or her back in combination with the waist bag or is wearing the waist bag without the backpack. Accordingly, a need exists for a waist bag that can be converted into a chest pack.